Irrigation ditcher



Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,098

R. c. cHATTlN IRRIGATION Di'rcHEn Filed 001;.30, 192s 11 ,e7 12 o l 40 64 5 6J 15167 o 56 154 l y um i 0 i 41 v i o l hln 0 i V I x. l l

- l J3 1; W. mm HH m 0159"-5 19 t al J6' 15W J0 10 v j y 1 4r -INVENTQR 12, i hamm A TTI'ORNE YS Patented Feb. 26, 1929 i @1f-g,

UNITED s-'TATlzSf 1,703,098 PATENT OFFICE.

`ROBERT COOKE OHATTIN,OF MOUNTAIN HOME, IDAHO, AssIGNoR To OHATTIN` TOOL COMPANY, OF BOIsE,` IDAHO,

A CORPORATION iOF IDAHO.

IRRIGATION DIToHER.

Application ilekd October 30, 1923.v rSerial ,No.` 671,760.

This invention 'relates to yan irrigation ditcher, and the objects of the inventionareas followsz. 1; Y f First, to provide a device for lthe construction of flat bottomed feed or lateral ditches for irrigation purposes by depositingfthedirt removed upon thelower bank of the mainv or head ditch and leaving the constructed ditch in the proper condition forl irrigating ,cor-A rugated land; second, to provide a device to be usedffor the construction of flat bottomed ditches by depositing the dirt removed 4successively upon eachvside oftheditch; thi-rd, to provide a device of the character above de-l scribed, which isvadjustable forthe construction of ditchesof varying Widths and depths and varying contour of banks;V fourth, to .providev a device ofthe character'above described, having a cuttin g edgeol'l share which may be 4easily replacednor v.which maybe readily' detached for the purpose of resharpening; lift-h, to provide a deviceof thecharacter above described,` which' will satisfactorily remove from they bottoms and banks f of ditches all vegetation which may be in the path of the device when in operation and which would 'otherwise seriously interfere with irrigation,.depositing same upon the banks with other'dirt and dbris removed from the ditch; and sixth, to provide a device of the character abovedescribed,.which -is` simple, strongk and durable inVconstr-uction and lwhich will 'not easily get out of order, and which may bereadily manufacturedat a comparatively slight expense fromv material ad by means of facilities ordinarily availale.V

Other objects and advantages ofthe inven.y tion reside in certain novelfeature `of `con-k struction, combination I and arrangel'nent of parts which will'be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed' outin the appended. claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this'specilication, and in which: f e Figure 1 is a kperspective View, illustrating the preferred embodiment ofthe invention; .1 l c Figure 2is a plan view. thereof; Figure 3 is a view in side elevation; i A,

Figure 4 isa fragmentary view in' vertical sectiomtaken Yon line 4&4 of Figure2 and looking in the directionof thearrows; and y `Figure 5 is a similar viewin Vhorizontal seca tion, taken on linev 5-5 .ofFiguref1f.and. lookingin thedirection ofthe arrows.' g L l Vslightly overlapping, as shown "in Figure 8 rand nuts 20. This connecting strip is ar- Referring to the drawings,wherein for the .sake of illustration is shown the preferred emv bodimenty of the invention, thel numeral l0 designates generally the landside of f' the ditcher which consists of a forward `plate 11` and anelongated rearward plate12.v The plates 11 and 12 are constructed of metal and are arranged vertically.A Inassembling the.

`plates 11 and 12 their lower edgesare -arranged atan angle to each o ther which .is slightly less than 180", and whichy ispreferably variedbetween 175D and 1809, this angle being indicatedv at L in Figure 1. Bythis arrangement of the plates the forward end or nose of the plate 11 is given a slightly down lead in operation and. the rearward plate v12 rides upon lthe yextreme rear. endofthe plate. Bolts and nuts 13k are employed `forfsecuring the plates 11 fandl2 to each other, the plates 7 5 and of coursehavng alined bolt holes for'` the receptionr ofthe bolts 13. Preferably the plate 11 is provided with countersinks for receiving the heads-of the bolts 13.. VIt lis also to be-noted 'that the'plates 11 andr12 are vertically disposed or' arrangedj f y Afsteelfshare 15 is detachably secured to the front endv of the plate 11 by a bolt and nut 16.*,- Above the-steel share v15a mold board 17 vis arranged. and is secured atits. for-k ward edge to the plate 11 by bolts andy nuts 18.l The front end ofthe steel share 15 and a portion of the front end of the mold board yand share 15 are connected to eachother bya connecting strip 19 which issecured both to the Amold board and/'to the share by'bolts ranged on vthefinner side of the mold board and share. f .Comm'on'means is provided for conne'etingthe mold board'and the share to the-plate12 of the landside and preferably this means includes a short connecting strip 21 arranged on the inner sideiof the share 15 and mold board 17 and securedito these parts byiffbolts and nuts 22th`ey connecting strip 21 having aflug 23 pivotally connectedto one end of a link "24. v,The other endofthelink 1l 24 is adapted to be selectively pivoted,. asiat 257 to any one of a number' of pivot holes 26 provided in an angle piece 27 bolted to the plate 12 ofthe landside. This common means for adjustably connecting the moldl board and sha-re to the plate 12 of the land'side is shown to advantage in Figures 2, 4 and. 5. In this manner the mold board and share are adjustably though positively'connected' to the plate 12 olf the landside. It will be un derstood that by varying the connection ot theflink 24to the angle piece 27 the angular relation of the mold boardv and share to the landside may be varied so that the ditcher can. be adjusted to produce ditches of varying widths; In making an adjust-'ment'of the link 24 it will of course be understood that the bolts 16 and 18 are first loosened and after' which tightened. The bolt holes in the share 15 and mold board 17 which accommodate the-bolts 16 and 18 respectively are sufciently larger' than the bolts 16 and 18 to admit oil the adjustment described. The

Y point of' the share 15 extends slightly below the forward; portion of the landsid'e, as indicated at 15u and the lower side of the share iscurvfedslightly forward and outward and is sharpened for about two-thirds of the distancey from the front to the rear end of the share as indicated at 15".

A wing 30 is provided and extends upwardly'froln' the rear end of the share 15 and mold board 17 as shown in Figures 1 and 3, they wing also diverging from the land'side 10, asshown in Figure 2. This wing 3,0 is transversely curved and the degree of; its transverse curvature progressively increases toward its lower end. The transverse' curva ture of the wing gives it a trough-like character to enable it to better carry or conduct theearth or the like up and' out of theI ditch. The forward end of the wing 30' is adjustably connected to the mold: board? 17 and share 15.- As shown to advantage in Figure 4` this means includes a pivot bolt 31` which extends through pivot openings provided therefor' in the wing 30 and in the share 15a Of" course thebolt 31 has a nut threaded thereon which may be tightened when the partshave been adjusted. Twobolts 32. are provided and extend through arcuate slots provided therefor in the wing 30. Oney of the'bolts32 extends through a pivot hole provided in the share 15 and the other bolt 32 extends-through a-bolt hole provided thereforin the mold board 17. The bolts 32 also havel nuts threaded thereon whichmay be tightened when the parts are adjusted. Adjacent thev upper part of the forward end of the wing 30 it is provided with anl arcuate series of bolt holes 33 adapted tol bey selec tivelyV alined with a single bolt hole provided in the mold board 17. A bolt 34 is extended through the alined hole of the series 33 and `the single bolt hole of the mold board 17 and has a nut threaded thereon andv tightened to holdv these parts in adjusted position. VThe heads of the bolts 31, 32 and 34 are received in countersinks provided in theI share 15 or the mold board 17 as thecase may be. By

been made the bolt 34 is reinserted through the alined bolt holes in the mold board; and wing 20Y and its nut is put in place and tightened and the nutson the bolts 31 andV 32'are tightened to hold they parts in adj usted position. f

Means is provided for adjustably though positively connecting the wing 30 to the plate 12 of the landside. This means preferably includ-es a rigid connecting rod 3.5 having one end pivotally connected to the wing, as at 36. This pivot connection 36' is preferably obtained by forming an eye 37 at one end of the connecting' rod and engaging'this eye with a' ycurved portion 38 of' a bracket 39 riveted or otherwise secured tothe wing. This permits-'the rod 35 to pivot either horizontally or vertically with respect to the mold board 30. The opposite end ol the rod 35 from vthat connected to the wing 30 is formed with a yoke pivoted to the main portion of 35l or made suliiciently largev or bend'able` to the rod admit of the described adjustment and this yoke 40' embraces the horizontal flange 41 of'v the anglev piece, designated generally at 42 and bolted to the inner side of the plate 1`2 of the landside. The horizontal flange 41 ofthe angle piece is provided with a series of bolt holes 43.v The arms of the yoke 40 are provided with 'alinedI aperture 44l adapted toabe brought into registration with any one of the openings 43 and pivotally connected inljsuch position' by the p-ivotbolt 45". By varying the connection of the `rod 35 `to the angle piece 41 the wing 30` may be' adjusted horizontally in accordancel with theV horizontal or angular adjustment of the share 15 and mold board 17. At the Vsam-e time the rod 35 is soi pivotally' connected to the wing 30 as to permit the same to be adj usted vertically. The adjustment of the wingl 30`must alsofbe accompanied by adjustment of ther arm 35 zontal flange carries a'flat metallic plate ork piece 52, strips 5 3'. being secured tothe horizontal fiange ofthe angle iron and tothe pl'atef5'2 fort-he purpose of mountingthe plate onthe angle'ironl. j n v A` soc A'et-551isrbolted or otherwise suitably toV i sary.

secured to the wing 30, and is adapted to receive one end of a handle56. The handle 56 is curved so as to extend upwardly andI laterally from the wing 30 and so as to overlie the platform 50.

At the forward end of the ditcher, a hitch is provided for adjusting the draw barpull or draft vertically and horizontally to allow for variations desired in depth of ditches and to correct or eliminate the side draft. This hitch includes a bar 60 having a lug 61 at one end adjustably secured to an extension 14 of the plate 11 by means of a bolt and nut 62 selectively cooperable with any one of a seriesv of bolt holes 63 provided in the extension 14 and also cooperable with a bolt hole provided inthe lug 61 and alined with one of the bolt holes 63. Thebar 60 is itself provided with a series of openings 64 and has its outer end connected, as at 65, to one end of a twisted arm 66, the other end of the arm being secured by abolt and nut 67 to the mold boa-rd 17.

The ditcher is yadapted for use in a construction of flat bottom feed or lateral ditches for irrigation purposes. When it is in use it is drawn along by a horse, tractor or the like, and the draft is transmitted to the ditcher by a draw bar attached to any one of the openings 64. Bv thus transmitting the draft to theditcher all side draft is eliminatedor corrected.

`lug 61 of the bar 60 to the extension 14 the By varying the adjustment of the draft can also be utilized to regulate the depth of cut. The width of the ditch toybe dug is determined by the angular relation of the share 15 and mold board 17 tothe landside 10. This angular relation is varied by adjusting the connection ofthe lug 24 on the angle piece 27 in the manner above described. The earth cut or excavated by the share travels up the mold board 17 onto the wing 30. The trough-like wing carries the earth thus excavated laterally and upwardly and deposits the same on the side of the ditch. This wing is adjustable to allow for adjustment of the share and mold board and also in order that it can effectively carry out its functions in digging ditches of various depths. The operator stands on the platform and by changing his riding position, either forward or backward, can conveniently vary the plowing effect of the ditcher. The ditcher may be tilted at will by the operator bymeans of the handle 56, the operator grasping the handlel 56 and swinging his weight to one side or the other of the ditcher as may be neces- This handle 56 also facilitates manip-ulation of the dit-cher and the transportation of the same from place to place.

It is to 'be noted that the angle iron 51 serves not only as a support for the platform 50 but serves also to take the bending stresses of the plates 11 and 12.

Preferably the'lower edge-of the wing 30 adjacent the share l5 is sharpened to con-` stitute a cutting edge and is tipped slightly outward. v

, I claim:

, 1. In a ditching machine, a landside, the earth contacting surface of which occupies a substantially Vertical plane and having a forward portion provided witha rearwardly sloping edge and a rear portion,ythe bottom edge of which .extends downwardly-at. an angle yto the bottom edge of the said forward portion, a share andmold board connected together and commonly attached at the forward end to the said sloping edge of the forward portion of the land side in a manner to permit angular adjustment in a horizontal plane, the said share portion having a point extending below the lower edge of the forward portion of the landside, .means for adjusting the angular relation of the share and moldboard relative to they landside, a wing member connected with the rear endof the share and mold board and movabletherewith in the adjustment of theangular relation of the share and mold board relativeto the landside, and means forangularly adjusting the wing member in a vertical plane relative tothe share and mold board.

' 2. In a ditching machine, a land side con. l

sisting of a long comparatively narrow plate occupying a substantially vertical plane and a plateforming a continuation thereof Vin the same `plane at the forward end, vthe said forward end having a rearwardly sloping ground entering forward edge fora portion of its width and an upper forwardly projecting portion, a draft appliance connected with the said forwardly projecting portion,` the said first named long plate having a downwardly vsloping bottom edge extending to a point below the bottom edge of the said forward continuation portion, a mold board and share connected together. and commonly at-l tached to the rearward sloping edge of the forward land side plate, in av manner vto permit adjustment in a horizontal plane of the angular vrelation of the share and mold board with the plate, said share havingl a pointat its forwardedge extendingbelow j the plane of the bottom edge of the land side portion to which it is attached and the share and mold board .having a common forward edgey sloping rearwardly to correspond with the rearwardly sloping edge of the forward portion of the land sideand providing therewith an earth cutting-edge, and a wing member detachably connected with the rear end `.of the share and moldboard, means for angularly adjusting the wing member in a vertical plane relative to .the share and mold board,

and a draft appliance connected with the said forwardly projecting end portion of the land side and arrangedto be relatively adjusted in avertical plane.

ROBERT cooKE CHATTIN.. 

